Narnia Restored: How Mercy Wins Battles And Chains Break

We explore the story from Peter’s honourable duel with Miraz to Aslan’s chain-breaking holiday, showing how mercy, treachery, and joy turn the battle and restore Narnia to its former glory. As we explore the details of this chapter, we see myth and scripture meet to reveal why Chapter 14 is both thrilling and tender.
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Intro

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A little before two o'clock, Trumpkin and the Badger sat with the rest of the creatures at the wood's edge looking across at the gleaming line of Miraz's army, which was about two arrow shots away. In between, a square space of level grass had been stacked for the combat. At the two far corners stood Glozell and Sopespian with drawn swords. At the near corners were Giant Wimbleweather and the Bulgy Bear, who, in spite of all their warnings, was sucking his paws and looking, to tell you the truth, uncommonly silly. To make up for this, Glenstorm, on the right side of the lists, stocked still except when he stamped his hind hoof occasionally on the turf, looked much more imposing than the Telmarine Baron who faced him on the left. Peter had just shaken hands with Edmund and the Doctor and was now walking down to the combat. It was like the moment before a pistol goes off, at an important race, but very much worse. I wish Aslan had turned up before it came to this, said Trumpkin. So do I, said Truffle Hunter. But look behind you. Crows and crockery, muttered the dwarf as soon as he had done so. What are they? Huge people, beautiful people, like gods and goddesses and giants, hundreds and thousands of them, closing in behind us. What are they? It's the Dryads and Hamadryads and Silvans, said Truffle hunter. Aslan has awakened them. Humph, said the dwarf. That'll be very useful if the enemy try any treachery. But it won't help the high king very much if Miraz proves handier his sword. The badger said nothing, for now Peter and Miraz were entering the lists from opposite ends, both on foot, both in chain shirts, with helmets and shields. They advanced till they were close together. Both bowed and seemed to speak, but it was impossible to hear what they said. Next moment the two swords flashed in the sunlight. For a second the clash could be heard, but it was immediately drowned because both armies began shouting like crowds at a football match. Well done, Peter! Oh well done! shouted Edmund as he saw Miraz reel back a whole pace and a half. Follow it up quick! And Peter did, and for a few seconds it looked as if the fight might be won. But then Miraz pulled himself together, began to make a real use of his height and weight. Miraz, Miraz, the king, the king, came the roar of the Telmarines. Caspian and Edmund grew white with sickening anxiety. Peter is taking some dreadful knocks, said Edmund. Hello, said Caspian. What's happening now? Both falling apart, said Edmund. A bit blown, I expect. Watch, ah. Now they're beginning again. More scientifically this time, circling around and round, feeling each other's defenses. Hello everybody, and welcome back to Faithful Fables. I'm your host, Lorne, and today we continue our look into the second book of the Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian. So today's episode is going to be a little bit different than the episodes we've done up until now. Today we'll be taking a deep dive into a specific chapter from Prince Caspian, and that is chapter 14 called How All Were Very Busy. Now, before we get started, I want to ask that you leave a comment on whatever platform you're listening on, and kindly leave a rating as well, as it will help to uh get the show discovered by even more people. And I also ask that you subscribe to the YouTube channel. I'm currently working on extra videos that are shorter in length, and there are links to support the show in the description as well. Now, chapter 14 is one chapter that really stood out for me from this book. In some ways, it reminds me of chapter 16 from Lion the Witch in the Wardrobe. But one thing I like about this chapter is the same thing I like about the book in its entirety, and that it follows two storylines within itself and then transitions between them in a really creative way, which we'll get into that a little later in the episode. And so kind of how I've structured this episode is like I will read a chunk of it, we'll talk about it, I'll read another chunk, we'll talk about it, and we'll just kind of go through the chapter like that. And so what we read so far is we see Peter and Miraz, who is the main antagonist in this book, um, they're about to have a one-on-one fight, and we see Miraz's men, Gloselle and Sopespian, in the corner uh with their swords drawn, and in Peter's corner we see the giant Wimbleweather and the Bulgy Bear. And they didn't want Bulgy Bear in Peter's corner, as Bulgie Bulgy Bear has a tendency to suck on his paws, and they didn't want him up there doing that to be an embarrassment. Um but it was tradition that the bulgy bears would be in that position, and so he was there and of course ended up sucking his paw, and as the book says, looked uncommonly silly. So, in an attempt to make up for this embarrassment, embarrassment, embarrassment, they also had Glenstorm, the Centaur, close by. And so Trumpkin, the dwarf, says that he wished Aslan had showed up before it came to all of this, and then Trufflehunter, the badger, agrees, but points out that there's something behind Trumpkin. And so when Trumpkin looks around, he sees what he describes as huge people, beautiful people, like gods and goddesses and giants. He also pointed out that there were hundreds and thousands of them. So Trufflehunter explains that Aslan had awakened the Dryads and the Hamadryads and Sylvans. And so what are these exactly? And I looked into this, and dryads and hamadryads are from Greek and Roman mythology. They are wood nymphs. Um, so that's a minor nature deity. So I guess you could call them like forest gods in a sense. And so they live and die with the trees that they are spirits of. Dryads like to dance and are mentioned as the fawn's dancing partners. Their physical appearance is that of their trees. Birch girls are pale and head tossing uh and the beeches are regal. The difference between them is that a hamadryad is connected and bound to a specific tree. They are only with the tree they belong to, meaning that if the tree dies, so does the hamadryad, which makes sense of some of the actions of the dryads and hamadryads towards the Telmarines later in the chapter. Dryads, on the other hand, are typically female tree nymphs, but they are associated generally with the forest and can move from tree to tree. So yeah, the difference there basically, Hamadryads they stick with that one tree, that one specific tree their entire lives. If that tree dies, they die, whereas the dryads um are not associated with specific trees, but rather the forest as a whole, and they can move from tree to tree. So that's the difference there. Now, obviously, these are fictional beings, and we do not have this in reality, you know, at least to my knowledge, but they listen to and operate under Aslan's command. And so to me, the closest thing that we can relate to this would be angels, which we don't get loads of information about from scripture. But back to the chapter. Trumpkin admits that they w would be helpful, but not very much so with Peter's fight against Miraz. It's now time to for the fight to start. Peter and Miraz come close to each other and bow. The fight starts, and the crowds of both the Narnians and the Telmarines are so loud that it drowns out the sounds of the swords clashing, which must have been awfully loud. So we see Edmund, he's cheering on his brother, and we kind of get some he Edmund's basically commentating this thing to himself, but um it seems as though the Pevensey brothers have been able to put their differences away for good. You know, in the first book it was kind of a struggle of Edmund wanting his brother's acceptance and Peter being quite harsh to Edmund, and we'll talk about that in a later episode a little bit more, but it seems as though the Pevensey brothers are on good terms now and respect and love each other. So it looks like Peter Yeah, at some point it looks like Peter may have appeared to have won the fight already, but then Mraz pulls himself together and starts using his height and weight advantage. Um remember, Mraz is a grown adult. Um Peter at this time, I believe he would be 14 in this book. So yeah, Miraz would have the height and weight advantage over Peter, where Peter, he would have had that speed advantage over Miraz, and just the fact that he's younger, he's more youthful. So Edmund and Caspian are both very anxious about what they're seeing, that their faces are now white. And so at this point, it seems that Peter and Miraz are getting tired as the fight seems to be slowing in pace, but uh they they're feeling each other out. They're now going at it more scientifically, it appears. But at this point, we're gonna continue reading now and uh to see what happens next. I'm afraid this Miraz knows his work, muttered the doctor. But hardly had he said this when there was such a clapping and baying and throwing up of hoods among the old Marnians that it was nearly deafening. What was it? What was it? asked the doctor. My old eyes missed it. The High King has pricked him in the armpit, said Caspian, still clapping. Just where the armhole of the hellbrick let the point through. First blood. It's looking ugly again, now though, said Edmund. Peter's not using his shield properly. He must be hurt in the left arm. It was only ch too true. Everyone could see that Peter's shield hung limp. The shouting of the Telmarines redoubled. You've seen more battles than I, said Caspian. Is there any chance now? Precious little, said Edmund. I suppose he might just do it with luck. Oh, why did we let it happen at all? said Caspian. Suddenly all the shouting on both sides died down. Edmund was puzzled for a moment. Then he said, Oh I see. They've both agreed to arrest. Come on, Doctor, you and I may be able to do something for the High King. They ran down to the lists, and Peter came outside the ropes to meet them. His face red and sweaty, and his chest heaving. Is your left arm wounded? asked Edmund. It's not exactly a wound, said Peter. I've got the full weight of his shoulder on my shield, like a load of bricks. And the rim of the shield drove into my wrist. I don't think it's broken, but it might be a sprain. If you could tie it up very tight, I think I could manage. While they were doing this, Edmund asked anxiously, What do you think of him, Peter? Tough, said Peter. Very tough. I have a chance if I can keep him on the hop till his weight and short wind come against him. In this hot sun, too. Tell you the truth, I haven't much chance else. Give my love to everyone at home, Ed, if he gets me. Here he comes into the lists again. So long, old chap. Goodbye, doctor. And I say, Ed, say something specially nice to Trumpkin. He's been a brick. Edmund couldn't speak. He walked back with the doctor to his own lines with a sick feeling in his stomach. But the new bout went well. Peter now seemed to be able to make some use of his shield, and he certainly made good use of his feet. He was almost playing Tig with Miraz now, keeping out of range, shifting his ground, making the enemy work. Coward booed the Telmarines. Why don't you stand up to him? Don't you like it, eh? Thought you'd come to fight, not dance. Yeah. Oh, I do hope he won't listen to them, said Caspian. Not he, said Edmund. You don't know him. Oh for Miraz had got in a blow at last on Peter's helmet. Peter staggered, slipped sideways, and fell on one knee. The roar of the tailmarines rose like the noise of the sea. Now, Maraz, they yelled, now, quick, quick, kill him. But indeed, there was no need to egg the usurper on. He was on top of Peter already. Edmund bit his lips till the blood came. As the sword flashed down on Peter, it looked as if it would slash his head off. Thank heavens, it had glanced down his right shoulder. The dwarf wrought male was sound on did not break. Great Scott cried Edmund. He's up again. Peter, go it, Peter I couldn't see what happened, said the doctor. How did he do it? Grabbed Miraz's arm as it came down, said Trumkin, dancing with delight. There's a man for you. Use his enemy's arm as a ladder. The High King, the High King. Up, old Narnia. Look, said Truffle Hunter. Miraz is angry. It is good. They were certainly at it hammer and tongs now, such a flurry of blows that it seemed impossible for either not to be killed. As the excitement grew, the shouting almost died away, the spectators were holding their breath. It was most horrible and most magnificent. A great shout arose from the old Narnians. Miraz was down, not struck by Peter, but face downwards, having tripped on a tussock. Peter stepped back, waiting for him to rise. Oh brother, brother, brother, said Edmund to himself, need he be as gentlemanly as all that? I suppose he must. Comes of being a king a knight and a high king. I suppose it is what Aslan would like. But that brute will be up again in a minute, and then But that brute never rose. The lords, Gloselle and Sopespian, had their own plans ready. As soon as they saw their king down, they leapt into the lists, crying, Treachery, treachery! The Narnian traitor has stabbed him in the back while he lay helpless. To arms, to arms, Telmar! Peter hardly understood what was happening. He saw two big men running towards him with drawn swords, and the third Telmarine had left over the ropes on his left. And then Edmund points out that things are once again looking ugly, as Peter must have hurt his arm. Um he's unable to use his shield properly. That's kind of the observation that Edmund is making, and Caspian turns to Edmund for his opinion on if Peter stands a chance. He admits that Edmund has been in more battles than him, and so Edmund then tells Caspian that there is a small chance that he might be able to win, but it would be by luck. And so then Caspian Uh he starts wondering why they even let this fight happen in the first place. I guess he's starting to second guess things, and and here I actually see Caspian as being empathetic and even possibly blames himself uh for this happening. And the sound of the crowds uh begins to deaden because Peter and Miraz have agreed to take a rest, which at this point then Dr. Cornelius and the others head down to check on Peter. Peter explains that he sprained his wrist after the weight of Miraz's shoulder on his shield caused the rim of it to be driven into his wrist. And so he doesn't think that it's broken, but that it's sprained. Uh yeah. And then they wrap it up, and Edmund uh kind of asks Peter what he thinks of Miraz, to which Peter admits that Miraz is a very tough opponent. Um and that basically his only chance to win is to tire Miraz out, to make him tired. And so then things get kind of serious, and he tells Edmund to give everyone at home his love in case Miraz gets him. And and Peter says goodbye to the doctor, and he turns to Edmund and tells him that there is something special about Trumpkin. They had been in plenty of battles, but there was something different about this one. It was one-on-one, and there was a whole ceremony around it. They had the the lists and they had uh, you know, just yeah, it just seemed like it was almost like a production, like a ceremony around this one-on-one fight. And so Peter realized just how serious this one was, and he tells Edmund to tell everyone goodbye for him. Just realizing that, you know what, he might not make it out of this one. And so, Edmund, you better tell people this for me. And so Edmund was speechless, and I mean imagine your brother basically saying goodbye to you and asks you to tell everyone back at home goodbye for him as well, because he might he might die in this fight that he's having. Uh he felt sick, and I imagine must have felt overwhelmed and shocked, uh, probably trying to process it all on his on his walk literally back from the lists to where they were watching from. And so now things seem to pick up, and Peter's able to somewhat use his sword again, or sorry, his shield again. Uh and he was able to manage his footwork in a way that would tire Miraz out, and then the the hot sun also kind of helping. That was the plan now was to tire him out. And this made the Telmarines mock Peter for dancing instead of fighting. And Mraz ends up hitting Peter in the helmet, knocking him out, or down at least, and then uh he went to kill Peter, and uh then I noticed something interesting where Edmund bites his lip until the till blood comes. And I thought this was interesting since the White Witch did the same thing in Lion the Witch in the Wardrobe, and so I don't know. I'm not saying that Edmund did it because the White Witch did it, and like maybe he saw her do that or whatever. I'm not whatever. Not saying that that's the connection there, but I'm just saying that's I just thought that was an interesting connection that he has so much history with her and that she also did that in the previous book. Moving on, so luckily Peter and luckily for Peter, sorry, Maraz's sword missed his head and hit his shoulder instead. And that the dwarf wrought chain mail that was made did its job. It mentioned earlier in the book that the dwarfs had made all the the chain mail. And it was doing a good job. I guess they make good stuff. So next thing we know, Peter is up again. He had grabbed Miraz's arm as it came down and used it to help himself up. And yeah, they're at blows once again. It seemed impossible for either of them not to be killed. So Miraz trips. He trips on the ground, and in an act of mercy and human decency, really, Peter waits for Miraz to stand up before he continues to attack. And how many of us would have just used that as an opportunity to now we jump on that? He's down, let's go. Not Peter. And I feel like this is uh something we'll get into uh in a later episode, but this is part of that growth and the things that Peter learned in the last book, just like growing into adulthood as a king, and these are the things he learned. And Edmund says, Need he be as gentlemanly as all that? I suppose he must comes of being a knight and a high king. I suppose it was what Aslan would like. And Edmund was right. It it was the right thing for Peter to do, although again the human instinct would be the opposite. So this section ends with Miraz actually not getting up, so Peter's still waiting for him to stand up. Uh but Miraz's men, Glosell and Sopespian, they have their own plan in mind, and they jump over the ropes, yelling the word treachery, and they're stating that that Peter had stabbed Miraz in the back while he was down, and so they're using that, and that didn't of course happen, Peter didn't stab him, but they're they're saying that and they're they're using that as an excuse to yell treachery, and now this is the chance for the Telmarines to just you know start fighting everybody. So Peter barely knew what was happening, and then he sees three Telmarines, I guess those two included, coming towards him. And with that, we are gonna continue reading, and so buckle up. To arms, Narnia! Treachery, Peter shouted. If all three had set upon him at once, he would never have spoken again. But Glozel stopped to stab his own king dead where he lay. That's for your insult this morning, he whispered as the blade went home. Peter swung to face Topespian, slashed his legs from under him, and, with the back cut off the same stroke, walloped off his head. Edmund was now at his side crying, Narnia, Narnia, the lion! The whole Telmarine army was rushed towards them. But now the giant was stomping forward, stooping low and swinging his club. The centaurs charged, twang, twang, behind and hissed, hissed, overhead came the archery of the dwarfs. Trumpkin was fighting at his left. Full battle was joined. Come back, Reaper Chief, you little ass, shouted Peter. You'll only be killed. This is no place for mice. But the ridiculous little creatures were dancing in and out among the feet of both armies, jabbing with their swords. Many a Telmarine warrior that day felt his foot suddenly pierced as if by a dozen skewers, hopped on one leg cursing in pain, and fell as often as not. If he fell, the mice finished him off, if he did not, someone else did. But almost before the old Narnians were really warmed to their work, they found the enemy giving way. Tough looking warriors turned white, gazed in terror, not on old Narnians, but on something behind them, and then flung down their weapons, shrieking, The Wood! The wood! The end of the world! But soon neither their cries nor the sound of weapons could be heard anymore, for both were drowned in the ocean-like roar of the awakened trees as they plunged through the ranks of Peter's army, and then on in pursuit of the Telmarines. Have you ever stood at the edge of a great wood on a high ridge when a wild southwester broke over it in full fury on an autumn evening? Imagine that sound. And then imagine the wood, instead of being fixed to one place, was rushing at you and was no longer trees, but huge people. Yet still like trees because their long arms waved like branches and their heads tossed and leaves fell around them in showers. It was like that for the Telmer. It was a little alarming even for the Narnians. In a few minutes, all of Maratza's followers were running down to the Great River in hope of crossing the bridge to the town of Varuna, and there defending themselves behind ramparts and closed gates. They reached the river, but there was no bridge. It had disappeared since yesterday. Then utter panic and horror fell upon them, and they all surrendered. But what happened to the bridge? Early that morning, after a few hours' sleep, the girls had woken to see Aslan standing over them and hear his voice saying, We will make holiday. They rubbed their eyes and looked round them. The trees had all gone, but still still could be seen moving towards Aslan's Hau in a dark mass. Bacchus and the Minads, his fierce madcap girls, and Silinus were still with them. Lucy, fully rested, jumped up. Everyone was awake, everyone was laughing. Flutes were playing, cymbals clashing, animals, not talking animals, were crowding in upon them in every direction. What is it, Aslan? said Lucy, her eyes dancing and her feet wanting to dance. Okay, so what we read there was Peter uh rallying the troops uh to fight back against the Telmarines, and good thing that not all three of those soldiers were coming at him because he would not have survived. Uh then we see Glosell, uh one of Miraz's men, actually go to stab Miraz. He actually kills him he stabs because of the insults that Miraz gave him earlier. In the last chapter Edmund came to Mraz with the challenge from Peter for the one-on-one and Glosell and and Sopesp like no don't take it like if this is Edmund then surely Peter will be worse and stuff like that. And then Miraz makes the comment that that Glosell thinks like a woman something like that. And that is the insult that he was referring to because even after that he did say to Sopespian that Miraz would pay for what he said and so this was it a petty a petty uh instance of revenge here where got him back for an insult like that. So Peter takes ends up taking so Pespian down he sweeps the leg and actually beheads him and this is the second time in this book that we see a head roll away from Peter's sword. And so what I find ironic with this part is that Miraz dies at the hand of the treachery of his own men. And it's the same way that Caspian's father died at the hands of Mraz when he was committing treachery. So i y did you catch that? When Mraz kills Caspian's father so that he can be king it was treachery and now Miraz dies at the hand of that same sort of treasury treasury? Treachery so the whole Telmarine army is now rushing towards them but the Narnian army is firing on all cylinders as the giant is swooping down with his club and the centaurs are charging and the dwarfs are shooting their arrows and even the mice are charging into battle at which Peter Peter calls for Reapich, one of the I guess one of the head mice to come back and he calls him a little ass and I just thought that was funny so figured I'd reiterate that but the mice don't listen um they're attacking the Telmarines' legs and feet and if the Telmarines happened to fall then they would finish them on the ground and if the mice didn't then other Narnians would. So old Nar the old Narnians found the that the enemy was starting to retreat a little bit. Now the warriors on the Telmarine side looked terrified that then the the Narnians actually see what they're looking at and why they're terrified and it makes sense. And they were also afraid and thought that it was the end of the world but as soon but soon there was an ocean like roar coming from the awakened trees as they were making their way towards the Telmarine army. The trees are described as huge people but still trees because their long arms waved like the branches and their heads tossed and leaves fell round them in showers. The Talmarines retreat to the great river hoping to cross the bridge back into the town of Baruna where the gates would protect them but they get to the river and the bridge is gone. It had been there the day before but had disappeared since and this made it possible for the Narnians to surround them. And so what happened to the bridge and this is what I was pointing to at the beginning of the episode where it C.S Lewis is he tells two stories here and he transitions them beautifully and so now he's transitioning to that other part of the story where you know the boys and the girls had split up the girls with Aslan and then the boys with Caspian and Trumpkin and so now we're seeing what the girls in Aslan were up to and so C.S. Lewis brilliantly transitions to the other half of the chapter and the other story. And so we learned that earlier that morning the girls woke up to Aslan standing over them and he tells them that they will make holiday. They rub their eyes and they notice that the trees were gone but they can still see them moving towards Aslan's how then C.S. Lewis mentions the names Bacchus and Silanus Silenus Silanus and the Maynards Now if you're like me you're wondering who or what that is now Bacchus in Roman mythology is the god of wine and ectus ecstasy he is dressed in only a fawn skin and vine leaves and a vine leaves wreath his curly hair his face is wild and seems too pretty to be a boy he is often accompanied by Silenus and the Maynads with whom he dances the wild dance of plenty Now Silenus Silinus Greek mythology again, Greek and Roman mythology is a the drunken attendant of Bacchus who rides on a donkey an expert musician and visits Narnia regularly in the summer months and which is why he was obviously absent during the one hundred years of winter in Lion the Witch in the wardrobe he is described as an old as old and enormously fat not just fat enormously fat and that he continually falls off his donkey and calls for refreshments. Now the Minads in Greek and Roman mythology the female members of Bacchus's company they turn somersaults, rush, leap, and dance the dance of plenty So Bacchus, the Minads and Silenus are still with them but all the other trees have gone towards Aslan's how now everyone is awake and they hear laughing there's flutes being played there's cymbals clashing sounds like a joyous time and then even the non-talking animals were crowding them and Lucy asks Aslan what is it? And so from here this is going to be the last part of the chapter that I read it's going to be a little bit of a longer section because it's just from here to the end of the chapter I wanted to include the transition so that we could we could read it all from the other story to this part of the story just so we can hear the transition. It was really nice uh but now we're getting into a lot a lot of stuff that's that's happening right here. I mean the name of the chapter is how they were all busy right or all very busy and so we're gonna see what now Aslan and the girls were doing in their busyness. So let's get into that Come children said he ride on my back again Oh lovely cried Lucy and both girls climbed on to the warm golden back as they had done no one knew how many years before then the whole party moved off, Aslan leading, Bacchus and the Minads leaping, rushing and turning somersaults, the bees frisking round them, and Silanus and his donkey bringing up the rear they turned a little to the right raced down a steep hill and found the long bridge of Baruna in front of them. Before they had begun to cross it however up out of the water came a great wet bearded head larger than a man's crowned with rushes. It looked at Aslan and out of its mouth a deep voice came Hail lord it said loose my chains who on earth is that whispered Stu. I think it's the river god but hush said Lucy Pocket said Aslan deliver him from his chains That means the bridge I expect thought Lucy and so it did Pocket and his people splashed forward into the shallow water and a minute later the most curious things began happening great strong trunks of ivy came curling up all the piers of the bridge glowing as quickly as the fire grows, wrapping the stones round, splitting, breaking, separating them the walls of the bridge turned into hedges gay with hawthorn for a moment and then disappeared as the whole thing with a rush and a rumble collapsed into the swirling water. With much splashing screaming and laughter the revelers waited and swam or danced across the ford hooray it's the Ford of Bruna again now cried the girls and up on the bank on the far side and into the town. Everyone in the streets fled before their faces the first house they came to was a school a girls' school where a lot of Narnian girls with their hair done very tight and ugly tight collars round their necks and thick tickly stockings on their legs were having a history lesson. The sort of history that was taught in Narnia under Miraza's rule was duller than the truest history you ever read and less true than the most exciting adventure story. If you don't attend Gwendolyn said the mistress and stop looking out the window I shall give you an order mark but please Miss Prizzle began Gwendolyn did you hear what I said, Gwendolyn? asked Miss Prizzle. But please, Miss Prizel, said Gwendolen There's a lion Take two order marks for talking nonsense, said Miss Prizzle. And now a roar interrupted her Ivy came curling in at the windows of the classroom. The walls became a mass of shimmering green and leafy branches arched overhead where the ceiling had been. Miss Prizzle found she was standing on grass in a forest glade. She clutched at her desk to steady herself and found that the desk was a rose bush. Wild people, such as she had never even imagined were crowding round her. Then she saw the lion, screamed and fled, and with her fled her class, who were mostly dumpy, prim little girls with fat legs. Gwendolyn hesitated You'll stay with us, sweetheart, said Aslan. Oh may I? Thank you, thank you, said Gwendolyn. Instantly she joined hands with two of the Mainads, who whirled her round in a merry dance and helped her take off some of the unnecessary and uncomfortable clothes that she was wearing. Wherever they went in the little town of Baruna it was the same. Most of the people fled, a few joined them when they left the town they were a larger and merrier company. They swept across the level fields of the north bank or left bank of the river. At every farm animals came out to join them. Sad old donkeys who had never known joy grew suddenly young again. Chained dogs broke their chains, horses kicked their carts to pieces and came trotting along with them, clop clop, kicking up the mud and whinny at a well in a yard they met a man who was beating a boy. The stick burst into flour in the man's hand. He tried to drop it but it stuck to his hand his arm became a branch, his body the trunk of a tree. His feet took root the boy who had been crying a moment before burst out laughing and joined them at a little town halfway to Beaversdam, where two rivers meet, they came to another school, where a tired looking girl was teaching arithmetic to a number of boys who looked very like pigs. She looked out of the window and saw the divine revellers singing up the street and a stab of joy went through her heart. Aslan stopped right under the window and looked up at her Oh don't don't she said I'd love to but I mustn't I must stick to my work and the children would be frightened if they saw you frightened said the most pig like of the boys who's she talking to out of the window Let's tell the inspector she talks to people out of the window when she ought to be teaching us. Let's go and see who it is said another boy and they all came crowding to the window. But as soon as their mean little faces looked out Bacchus gave a great cry of yon and the boys all began howling with fright and trampling one another to get out of the door and jumping out of the windows. And it was said afterwards, whether truly or not, that those particular little boys were never seen again and that there were a lot of very fine little pigs in that part of the country which had never been there before. Now, dear heart, said Aslan to the mistress, and she jumped down and joined them. At Beaver's dam they recrossed the river and came east again along the southern bank. They came to a little cottage where a child stood in the doorway crying. Why are you crying my love? asked Aslan. The child who had never seen a picture of a lion was not afraid of him. Auntie's very ill she said she's going to die. Then Aslan went to go in at the door of the cottage but it was too small for him, so when he had got his head through he pushed with his shoulders. Lucy and Susan fell off when he did this and lifted the whole house up and it fell backwards and apart and there, still in her bed, though it was though the bed was now in the open air, lay a little old woman who looked as if she had dwarf blood in her. She was at death's door, but when she opened her eyes and saw the bright hairy head of the lion staring into her face she did not scream or faint. She said Oh Aslan, I knew it was true. I've been waiting for this my whole life Have you come to take me away? Yes dearest said Aslan but not the long journey yet. And as he spoke, like the flush creeping along the underside of a cloud at sunrise the color came back to her white face and her eyes grew bright and she sat up and said Why I do declare I feel that better. I think I could take a little breakfast this morning. Here you are mother said Bacchus, dipping a pitcher in the cottage well and handing it to her. But what was in it now was not water but the richest wine red as red currant jelly smooth as oil strong as beef warming as tea cool as dew hey you've done something to our well said the old woman that makes a nice change that does and she jumped out of bed ride on me said Aslan and added to Susan and Lucy you two queens will have to run now. But we'd like that just as well said off they went again and so at last with leaping and dancing and singing with music and laughter and roaring and barking and neighing they all came to the place where Marat's army stood flinging down their swords and holding up their hands and Peter's army still holding their weapons and breathing hard stood round them with stern and glad faces. And the first thing that happened was that the old woman slipped off Atlan's back and ran across to Caspian and they embraced one another for she was his old nurse Wow so a lot happened right there um this chapter and this part of the chapter specifically is what reminds me of chapter 16 of Lion the Witch in the wardrobe I find that there are just very like there's many similarities between the two chapters. If you remember which episode was it there's a previous episode I did where I focus on that chapter. That is my favorite chapter from that book. But in both chapters Susan and Lucy ride on Aslan's back and Aslan takes the girls to go do something that's very important. And it's also important to note that in both chapters this is happening while there is a battle going on. In Line the Witch in the wardrobe the battle of Baruna is happening and Aslan takes the girls to go free the sta uh like restore the statues and then in this chapter Peter's having his one-on-one battle with Miraz and Aslan takes the girls to as he put it make holiday and so we we will see Aslan free the oppressed heal the sick and bring joy to the sad they venture out to the bridge of Baruna but before they could cross it a great wet bearded head comes out of the river it comes out to tell Aslan to as he put it loose my chains so Aslan commands Bacchus to free him of his chains and in this case the chains meant the bridge the bridge was his chains. And so the bridge is taken away and it's once again the Ford of Baruna because if now I I feel like maybe I should explain this a little bit so I mentioned so Lion the Witch in the wardrobe the main battle that happens at the end happens on the Ford of Baruna and Prince Caspian since the Telmarines have taken over now they uh you know they they pushed all the creatures into hiding and they basically turned this ford into a town and so now it's the town of Baruna so the bridge is taken away and it is now once again a ford. There's not not just yeah so that's kind of some more I guess some more lore on that and so they they go into what is the town of Baruna and they make some visits and the the first place they visit is a school. It's an all-girls school where they're having a history lesson and it wasn't the true Narnian history it was the history that Miraz made them teach so basically just excluding anything of old Narnia. Much like we see earlier in the book that Caspian was being taught these things and then Miraz didn't like it so he gets rid of his nurse and then he gets rid of or replaces him with the doctor Dr. Cornelius also teaches him of old Narnia and so Miraz is really trying to erase that part of their history and so here we see the teacher Miss Prizzle talking to her student Gwendolyn and asking her to stop looking up the window but Gwendolyn doesn't and she looks out the window because she sees a lion and the lion roars so sorry Aslan we know it's Aslan Aslan roars and all of a sudden Ivy comes in at the windows of the classroom the walls become green and there were branches where the ceiling had been and Miss Prizzle now finds herself standing in a forest glade and her desk is a rose bush. Then it's described that there were wild people that she had never even imagined surrounding her. She sees Aslan, screams, and then runs away with the class following her the entire class except for Gwendolyn who hesitates and so now we see Aslan offer Gwendolyn for her to stay with them and she agrees. Then the Minads danced around her and helped her change out of some of the unnecessary uncomfortable clothes that she had on and this I kind of see as you know like the river needed its chains loosed and getting the bridge being taken away was doing that. Here you know being out of the environment of of this teacher and now having the uncomfortable clothes being taken off she's also having her her own chains loosed so to speak and just a little spoiler that's going to be a theme going forward here. As they continue through the town it was a familiar scene where most people fled and only few joined them when they and then when they left the town there was a larger group. So every farm that they passed saw animals coming to join them and these were not talking animals uh but yeah we saw an old donkey who had never known joy he was suddenly young again Aslan gave him joy there were chained dogs that had their chains broken again seems to be a theme here and horses kicked their carts to pieces and came along so even the horses chained so to speak by their carts were now free from that we see a recurring theme of having chains broken and joy in following Aslan which is what happens when we choose to follow Jesus we can break he can break us out of our old habits and out of our temptations if we are willing and he will give us joy that we haven't felt before this is like in Lion the Witch in the wardrobe when Aslan restores the statues breaking that chain and giving them a renewed spirit another example of this is when they came to the well and they saw a man beating a boy the man ultimately turns into a tree and the boy who had been crying burst into laughter and joined them and that is another way that it reminds me of the transforming power of Jesus and I want to read to you from 2 Corinthians 5 verse 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation old things have passed away behold all things have become new I think that's very fitting for what's happening in this chapter so they come back to another school halfway to the town of Beavers Dam, which I should say so Beavers Dam basically what happened was Mr Beaver's Dam that he was very proud of that he built in Line the Witch in the wardrobe became kind of like a historical site and then they had ended up making like a town around it. So it's just another town. So they come to Beavers Dam where the students the students are boys it's a boys school this time who look like uh who look like pigs and where their teacher is very tired looking and so she looks out the window and she sees Aslan and his company singing and it gives her joy even just seeing it it gives her joy. And Aslan looks at her from under the window so the students can't see her but she can see him or sorry students can't see him but she can she tells him that she would love to join him but she doesn't want to frighten the children and that she must stay to her work. And I find it very interesting that Aslan didn't even say a word to her and she knew that he was calling her to himself. She just knew she knew it instinctively sounds familiar so the most of the pig like boys the most pig looking boy of the bunch started to be very pig like in his attitude and threatened to tell the inspector that the teacher was talking to someone out of the window instead of teaching them so the boys all go out to look out the window and Bacchus makes a noise which by the way when I read it uh I've no idea how to read what was written so I just did my best but but yeah uh so he makes a noise which sends the the boys into a frenzy they start trampling over each other in an attempt to get out of this school and C.S. Lewis mentions that we don't know if it was true or not but it was said that the pig like boys were never seen from again and that there were a lot of very fine pigs in that part of the country that weren't there before. So what, the boys looked pig like and then they became pigs? That's what I'm getting from this. This reminds me of when Jesus cast the demons out of the man. And so that is found in Mark chapter five, and I'm gonna read this. It's it's twenty verses, but I think I think it's helpful to understand what's happening in Narnia. So here we go Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarines, and when he had come out of the boat immediately there met him out of the tombs, a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs, and no one could blind bind him, not even with chains. Because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces, neither could anyone tame him. And always night and day he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped him, and he cried out with a loud voice, What have I to do with you, Jesus, son of the most high God? I implore you by God that you do not torment me. For he said to him, Come out of the man, unclean spirit. Then he asked him, What is your name? And he answered saying, My name is Legion, for we are many. Also he begged him earnestly that he would not send them out of the country. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. So all the demons begged him saying Send us to the swine that we may enter them. And at once Jesus gave them permission, and then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine. There were about two thousand and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea and drowned in the sea. So those who fled the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country, and they went out to see what it was that happened. Then they came to Jesus and saw the one who had been demon possessed and had the legion sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid and those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon possessed and about the swine. Then they began to plead with him to depart from their region. And when he got into the boat he who had been demon possessed begged him that he might be with him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him Go home to your friends and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how he has had compassion on you. And he departed and began to proclaim in the Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him, and all marvelled The man that was possess the demon, sorry, that was possessing the man, said that his name was Legion, for they were many meaning that there was obviously many of them and so then Jesus cast them out into a herd of pigs that ran themselves into the water and drowned. And this passage reminds me of what's happening here in Narnia because the boys were pig like not just in appearance but in personality as well and so they were rude and nasty and I'm sure the demons weren't nice you know they they were probably very similar in that way um and the d the demons went into a herd of pigs and the boys uh ran out of the school and then suddenly there were a lot of pigs that hadn't been there before in the Bible the pigs ran themselves into the water and and drowned and I think honestly just to get away and in this in this story the boys were in a frenzy and trampling each other trying to escape as well I I just see I see many parallels in the the two stories. I've no idea if that's what C.S. Lewis was trying to go for or not but to me that's that's a connection there. And so after this the teacher was now freed from the chains of her troublesome students. And so the group recrosses the river and they come to a cottage where they see a little girl was crying and Aslan asks her why and the amazing thing is she had never even seen a picture of a lion before and she wasn't afraid of him. I think this is another example of childlike faith. But anyways the girl explains to Aslan that her auntie is very ill. Aslan was too big to fit into the door so he sticks his head in and then with both his shoulders knocking Susan and Lucy off in the meantime lifts up the house and it falls over backwards and breaks now the auntie is still in the bed but now out in the open air the auntie was old and at death's door but when Aslan or sorry when she sees Aslan staring at her she doesn't scream she doesn't faint she explains sorry she exclaims that she's been waiting her whole life for this and asked him if they're if they were there to take her away and he says yes but not for the long journey yet and I'm assuming the long journey would be like you know death and then like into Aslan's country or however probably just Aslan's country probably not death in this case but that's probably what's meant there. And then we see the color rush back into her face and her eyes grow bright she was healed. Now Bacchus gets some water from the well and hands it to her but it wasn't water anymore. It was the richest wine it's just described as red as red currant jelly smooth as oil strong as beef which was interesting for me I'm not anyways what warming as tea and cool as dew. There are a couple things here that come to mind right away is the first is that Aslan healed her and there are are many many stories in the Gospels where Jesus went into people's homes and he healed them and the second thing is clearly Jesus's first miracle when he turned water into wine and so the same thing happened here the water from the well is now wine and it's the richest wine too so Aslan asks the lady to ride on his back and now Susan and Lucy are made to run beside him which they're fine with so with all this joyous company of singing and dancing and music laughing roaring barking neighing they all come to the place where Miraz's army stands and it's surrounded by the Narnian army and the Telmarines they're throwing their weapons down they're giving up so in the end we see that Peter's army is victorious even though it wasn't by their hand. It was Aslan using the trees using Gloselle and so Pespian's treachery and etc to win so Peter's army is still victorious and celebrated as the victors and I think there's a lesson here. You know we see that Peter's army was actively waiting for Aslan to work and he did. They weren't just doing nothing they were doing their part to the best of their ability and leaving the rest up to Aslan. I think that is so true for our lives as well when we wait for God it doesn't mean doing nothing. There are still responsibilities and things that we need to do for ourselves while we wait for God to do his thing. So now the old woman slips off Aslan's back and she runs straight to Caspian and the two embrace and then in a twist that I don't know about you, I did definitely didn't see it coming, uh C.S Lewis reveals that the old woman was Caspian's old nurse. So I just a little bit of backstory again. So when Caspian was growing up he had a nurse that was teaching him things and she taught him about old Narnia and he loved this nurse dearly and so when when Miraz sends her away it was devastating and so that was that was years ago and so now they're finally reunited. And so I mean yeah like even even though she was replaced by Dr. Cornelius this is still very meaningful because of the connection that that they had and so it was a very sweet reunion to a an ending to an already beautiful chapter. And it actually just makes me think so the so the nurse she was the auntie to the little girl that was crying and I mentioned before that when this little girl saw Aslan and I just made this connection actually now like talking about it but when the little girl saw Aslan she wasn't afraid she had never seen a picture of a lion but I'm thinking maybe it was maybe it was described to her maybe maybe what an what a lion looked like was described to her by her auntie who was the nurse who had also taught Caspian of the old Narnia and would have told him stories of Aslan and and you know High King Peter King Edmund Queen Susan and Queen Lucy like it's very possible that this little girl knew those stories she knew what it a lion might have looked like even though she hadn't seen it. So I don't know maybe maybe that's why she wasn't afraid could also just be like the innocence of a child you know she didn't know to be afraid of him that could also be that was just something I'd thought of and so anyways this chapter we see that it was very heavily focused on the women being the ones that were helped the teacher whose students turned into pigs the little girl who was a student Gwendolyn um the little girl and her auntie and there's you know many times that Jesus had special moments with women as well you know he sat down with the woman at the well and chatted with her and he gently healed the sick girl you know the bleeding woman who who touched the fringe of his garment and was healed you know the the the women were the the women were the first ones who he appeared to after his resurrection sorry and there's there's just many more examples. And it you know thinking about that it seems that the way the chapter is set up is that men are honored in the first half of the chapter and women in the second half. And it was special for Susan and Lucy who once again they got to see things from Aslan's perspective just like they did in Lion the Witch in the wardrobe. So to end this section I want to bring up one more passage from the Bible and it's found in Isaiah 55 it's verse twelve to thirteen for you shall go out with joy and be led out with peace. The mountains and hills shall break forth into singing before you and the trees of the field shall clap their hands instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree and it shall be to the Lord for a name for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. So when people make the choice to turn to God and allow his work to be done in them it always rejo results in joy and peace it is an unexplainable joy that is so great that even the mountains, the hills and the trees join in I don't know about you I have I have felt there's times where in my life it's been some of the darkest times where like I'm just all of a sudden feeling joy and I have no idea where it's coming from and it's like I should be miserable right now but like why why am I feeling this and guys I gotta tell you there's there's no no way someone could ever tell me that that is not God working that that is not like feeling God's presence with you I'm I'm convinced and he so he will replace the barrenness and so in this passage the thorn with beautiful and useful trees. When God does his work of restoration he takes away the barren and cursed and instead he brings the beautiful and the fruitful when God restores it is everlasting and it cannot be cut off. And we see similarities to this with Aslan He restores what is bad and replaces it with joy and peace that only he could bring He freed all those people and animals from the chains that were holding them back and gave them unspeakable joy I mean think about that donkey that old donkey that had never felt joy was suddenly made to be young again and now could experience joy it's beautiful beautiful imagery and even with the trees in in the Isaiah passage they were clapping their hands and in Prince Caspian the trees they're dancing I think that I think that that's just a beautiful image of what's of what's happening here taking the time to listen to this episode of Faithful Fables. It means so much to me. Today we talked about a lot but some of the big things we saw that were in the beginning of this chapter it was focused on the battle between Peter and Miraz until the Telmarines were chased to the bridge that just so happened to disappear. Men C.S. Lewis beautifully uses that bridge as a transition to the second half of the chapter where we learned what happened to the bridge and see Aslan do many things for many creatures. We see Dr. Cornelius take a higher importance in this chapter and Caspian kind of takes a little bit of a lesser role it seems and Peter honorably pauses to let Miraz get up when he trips being a gentleman even in a high stakes battle that could have taken his life there are many details in this chapter and there are also many lessons from this chapter alone that we can take. And I think we covered most of them but I'm sure we could find more if we really wanted to and hey if you want let me know. And remember to rate this episode and leave a comment for your chance to have a comment read in a future episode. Remember my YouTube where I'm trying to get more you know shorter length videos out there for you guys as well and there are also links in the description where you can support the show if you're able to as well that's all for me today guys come back next time as we continue our look into Prince Caspian. Until next time stay faithful